1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for storage and playback of video, audio, multimedia and other data recorded on data storage media.
2. Background Art
When you watch a movie on videotape, you usually see an FBI copyright warning followed by one or more “previews” (also called “trailers”) of upcoming theatrical movies or video release movies before the actual movie begins. If you own the videotape, you must endure the same previews every time you play the movie, or be forced to “fast forward” through the previews to reach the actual movie. This is a problem that results from the nature of videotape as a storage medium and from the manner in which movies are stored on videotape. This problem can be further understood by reviewing different types of data storage media and their operation.
Two common types of data storage media are random access storage media and sequential access storage media. Random access storage media are media in which storage locations can be accessed in any order. Sequential access (or serial access) storage media are media in which storage locations must be accessed in a particular order. Examples of random access storage media include floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, RAM cards, CD's and CD-ROM's, laser disks, and DVD's (“digital versatile disks” or “digital video disks”). An example of a sequential access storage medium is magnetic tape (e.g. videotape or audio tape). In random access storage media, the time to access a particular storage location is independent of the storage location. In sequential access storage media, the time required to access a particular storage location depends on the distance of the storage location to which access is sought from the storage location that is currently being accessed.
In sequential access storage media, there can be a significant delay in accessing a desired storage location if the current and desired storage locations are widely separated on the storage media. For example, it can take several minutes to traverse from a position at the beginning of a sequential storage medium such as a videotape to a position near the end. Accordingly, sequential access storage media is not well suited for rapidly accessing non-sequential storage locations.
Although sequential access media has the disadvantage of not allowing random access to storage locations on the tape, a counterbalancing advantage has been storage capacity. For example, a standard VHS videotape cassette can record up to six hours of analog video. Prerecorded videotapes containing recordings of theatrical motion pictures are typically available for rental, allowing movies to be rented and viewed by users at their leisure in their own homes.
As noted, during playback of a typical prerecorded videotape movie, the sequence of material presented to the viewer is similar to the sequence presented at a movie theater: the feature presentation is usually preceded by several short one to two minute trailers advertising products or presenting previews of upcoming movies.
A purchaser of a prerecorded videotape typically plays the tape several times during the course of ownership, often over a period spanning several years. Each time the videotape is played, the same programs are presented to the viewer in the same sequence: first the trailers, then the feature presentation. Although the trailers may be topical and of interest to the viewer when the videotape is first released, after repeated viewing, and passage of time, the trailers often become dated and uninteresting. Having to watch the same trailers each time the videotape is viewed detracts from the enjoyment of viewing the tape. Further, although the trailers may initially be effective for advertising products or services, after repeated viewing, they may become annoying and have a detrimental effect on the viewer.